Question

Support the claim that a plant gains advantages by storing a food reserve underground by comparing and selecting from the descriptions below.

a) Plants store food underground to prevent water loss.
b) Underground storage helps plants avoid predation.
c) Storing food reserves underground allows plants to survive adverse conditions.
d) Underground storage encourages rapid growth in plants.

Answer 1

Plants store food reserves underground as a means of avoiding predation, surviving adverse conditions, and encouraging rapid growth. The stable soil environment promotes the preservation of these reserves, which is crucial for plant survival and thrival.

Step-by-step explanation:

Plants gain several advantages by storing food reserves underground, as this is a strategy that supports their survival and growth. From the descriptions provided, we can highlight a few key benefits.

• Underground storage helps plants avoid predation: By storing food like starches and proteins below the soil surface, these reserves are kept out of sight and reach from many herbivores, thus reducing the likelihood of being eaten.
• Storing food reserves underground allows plants to survive adverse conditions: With food reserves beneath the ground, plants can tap into these reserves during periods of drought, cold, or other stressful times, ensuring their survival until conditions improve.
• Underground storage encourages rapid growth: Having a convenient source of nutrients readily available helps plants to grow quickly when conditions are right, such as at the beginning of a growing season after a period of dormancy.

The consistent conditions of moisture and temperature beneath the soil surface also contribute to the effectiveness of this survival mechanism. The benefits are even more pronounced when considering taproots, which serve as both a sturdy anchorage system and a protected nutrient reservoir.